Choose the most appropriate alternative from the options given below to complete the following sentence:
setbacks
Understanding Sentence Completion
The given sentence is: "Despite several ________ the mission succeeded in its attempt to resolve the conflict." To complete this sentence effectively, we need to choose a word that creates a logical and coherent meaning, especially considering the contrasting conjunction "Despite."
Analyzing Contextual Clues
The word "Despite" indicates a contrast or an opposition. It means "in spite of" or "notwithstanding." The sentence states that the "mission succeeded." This implies that whatever filled the blank was something that typically hinders success or makes it difficult. Therefore, the word chosen must represent an obstacle, challenge, or difficulty that the mission overcame to achieve success.
Evaluating the Options for Fit
Let us examine each option to see how well it fits the context:
- attempts: If we say "Despite several attempts," it could mean despite several tries. However, "attempts" in itself does not inherently imply a negative or hindering factor that success would occur "despite." A mission might succeed after many attempts, but "attempts" aren't usually obstacles. If the attempts were unsuccessful, then it makes sense, but the word "attempts" alone doesn't convey that.
- setbacks: A setback is something that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were. If the mission succeeded "despite several setbacks," it perfectly fits the context because setbacks are difficulties or failures that a mission would need to overcome. This option clearly provides the necessary contrast implied by "Despite."
- meetings: "Meetings" are gatherings of people for a specific purpose. A mission would typically involve meetings, but success does not occur "despite" meetings; rather, meetings are often part of the process towards success. This option does not provide the required hindering element.
- delegations: A delegation is a group of people chosen to represent others. A mission might interact with or send delegations, but success would not occur "despite" them being obstacles. This option does not fit the context of a challenge to be overcome.
Why Setbacks is the Correct Choice
Based on the analysis, setbacks is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence. The sentence structure "Despite several ________ the mission succeeded" clearly demands a word that signifies difficulties or hindrances. The mission achieved success in spite of facing multiple challenges or difficulties, which are precisely what "setbacks" are. This choice creates a logical and grammatically sound sentence that conveys the intended meaning of overcoming obstacles to achieve a positive outcome.
Important Questions from Verbal Deduction
Lamenting the gradual sidelining of the arts in school curricula, a goup of prominent artists wrote to the Chief Minister last year, asking him to allocate more funds to support arts education in schools. However, no such increase has been announced in this year`s Budget. The artists expressed their deep anguish at their request not being approved, but many of them remain optimistic about funding in the future.
Which of the statement(s) below is/are logically valid and can be inferred from the above statements?
(i) The artists expected funding for the arts to increase this year.
(ii) The Chief Minister was receptive to the idea of increasing funding for the arts.
(iii) The Chief Minister is a prominent artist.
(iv) Schools are giving less importance to arts education nowadays,Read the following paragraph and choose the correct statement.
Climate change has reduced human security and threatened human wellbeing. An ignored reality of human progress is that human security largely depends upon environmental security. But on the contrary, human progress seems contradictory to environmental security. To keep up both at the required level is a challenge to be addressed by one and all. One of the ways to curb the climate change may be suitable scientific innovations, while the other may be the Gandhian perspective on
Small scale progress with focus on sustainability.Choose the most appropriate phrase from the options given below to complete the following sentence.
The aircraft_______ take off as soon as its flight plan was filed.
Once the team of analysts identifies the problem, we _________ in a better position to comment on the issue.
Which one of the following choices CANNOT fill the given blank?“If you are looking for a history of India, or for an account of the rise and fall of the British Raj, or for the reason of the cleaving the subcontinent into two mutually antagonistic parts and the effects this mutilation will have in the respective sections, and ultimately on Asia, you will to find it in these pages; for though I have spent a lifetime in the country, I lived too near the seat of events, and was too intimately associated with the actors, to get the perspective needed for the impartial recording of these matters.”
Which of the following is closest in meaning to ‘cleaving’?
